At Paris-Roubaix, World’s Top Classics Riders Set for Rematch

In less than 48 hours many of the world’s great cyclists will toe the start line at Paris-Roubaix, professional cycling’s wildest race.

While just a week ago the top classics riders attacked one another at the Tour of Flanders—the hardest one-day cycling contest in the world—Paris-Roubaix has a long, storied history as the most unpredictable race.

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And many of last Sunday’s gladiators, such as America’s George Hincapie, Belgium’s Tom Boonen, and Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara, will be looking for some revenge after missing out on the win in Belgium.

The Hell of the North

Paris-Roubaix does not have the steep climbs found on the Flanders route, but its infamous pavé, or cobblestones, are more treacherous than those found in neighboring Belgium. As such, Paris-Roubaix, aka the Hell of the North, adds an unequaled element of chance to this already grueling sport.

“It’s funny,” classics specialist Tom Boonen has said, “in Paris-Roubaix you can be feeling good, then all of a sudden nothing.”

Come Sunday, Boonen will be the only three-time winner at the start line in the Compiègne, just north of Paris. The tall Belgian dreams of equaling the record of four victories held by his countryman “Mr. Paris-Roubaix,” Roger de Vlaeminck.

However, Boonen will not actually be the main favorite.

That honor goes to Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara, a two-time winner of the race. Spartacus, as he’s called, humiliated Boonen and his other rivals last year after attacking 49 kilometers from the finish and cruising into the Roubaix velodrome solo for an impressive victory.

Some fear a similar beating is in store on Sunday. Cancellara warned his rivals this week “to get their seat belts on.”

Sill, the Swiss proved himself to be human last week when he attacked 40 kilometers from the finish in Flanders, only to wilt on the final climbs to finish third.

Paris-Roubaix promises to be different. Unlike Flanders, where a large group remained together until the last climbs, and nearly the entire BMC team was able to organize a chase, there is little chance for such unity over the cobblestones of northern France.

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New cobbled sections

Paris-Roubaix is by nature more chaotic. And this will likely prove to be even more so because of significant changes in the race route this year.

“New cobblestoned sections have been added before and just after the Arenberg Forest,” Marc Madiot told Bicycling.

Madoit, who twice won this race, now directs the Française de Jeux team.

“That changes things,” he said. “The Arenberg has always been a critical moment in the race, but now there will be no time or chance to recuperate. That will break things up more.”

What could also play a role is the unseasonably warm weather forecast for Sunday. Cancellara, for instance, is inconsistent in the heat. He cited the relatively hot temps as a handicap last week in Flanders, and it has also hurt him in past editions of Paris-Roubaix.

A year after his first victory, in 2006, Cancellara faltered in 2007, preferring to play to the hand of his teammate and eventual winner Stuart O’Grady. O’Grady is again Cancellara’s teammate on the Leopard Trek team, and looking forward to the heat on Sunday.

Other contenders are world champion Thor Hushovd and his teammate Heinrich Haussler, who ride for Garmin-Cervelo; George Hincapie and Alessandro Ballan of BMC; Team Sky’s Juan-Antonio Flecha; Katusha’s Filippo Pozzato; and HTC’s Matthew Goss, the recent winner of Milan-San Remo.

Goss’s teammate, superstar sprinter Mark Cavendish, will provide one of novelties in this year’s race as the charismatic rider from the Isle of Man makes his Paris-Roubaix debut.

Speculation over who will win this Hell of the North aside, it’s ultimately of course the cyclists who dictate the outcome.

“It doesn’t matter if there is wind, rain, dust, or whatever,” said Patrick Lefevere, manager of Boonen’s Quickstep team.

Lefevere has guided riders to more than 10 victories in Roubaix. When he talks, Paris-Roubaix fans listen.

“Paris-Roubaix is always fast, and at the end of the day it is the riders who make the race.”

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